


Cold December Air

by RossLalonde



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: M/M, all fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-29
Updated: 2015-12-12
Packaged: 2018-05-04 01:26:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5315000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RossLalonde/pseuds/RossLalonde
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico helps Percy through his break up with Annabeth, and they become the best of friends. One night, a sleep-deprived Percy tells Nico he wants to do something special the next day. But it's not a date, right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It's Not A Date

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo. This is just a short little fluffy piece I wrote when I was bored one day. Like always, please leave comments about mistakes if you see them, and tell me how you feel about the fic overall. Thank you and enjoy!

Nico 

It was another cold December evening in New York. Nico Di Angelo walked down the street to Percy's apartment, though he knew shadow traveling would be much faster. He enjoyed the cold nipping at his pale skin, and seeping ever so slightly through his jacket. He had put on a black jacket with a gray dress shirt underneath it. His black skinny jeans barely kept out the cold, but that didn't matter. Nico loved the cold, and loved wearing black in general. 

The events of last night swam through his head. Ever since Annabeth and Percy broke up the previous summer, Nico had spent every day with him. They went to amusement parks, movies, restaurants, anywhere that Percy loved to go. He felt kind of obligated to help Percy back onto his feet.

But it seemed as though Percy was helping Nico rather than vice versa. He realized that he loved being outside. He loved feeling to warm sun on his skin just as much as he loved feeling the cold. He’d been going out so often that his skin had gotten considerably darker, but not fully returning to its' original olive look. He had even been eating on a regular basis. 

But back to the previous night. He and Nico had watched movies and eaten pizza until midnight. Half asleep, Percy looked over at him with glossed over, sea green eyes. "Nico," he slurred, stifling a laugh. "I wanna do something special tomorrow, mkay?" 

Nico looked at him, fully awake, and raised his eyebrow. "Uh, okay? What did you have in mind?" He then silently cursed himself when the image of himself and Percy kissing appeared in his mind, as it often did. They moved to the bed, shedding off clothing quickly, movi- Holy shit, Percy was talking this whole time. 

"-So just wear something nice, kay?" 

He nodded his head like he had been listening the whole time. "Yeah, okay." He felt his cheeks get warm as he said his goodbyes. They hugged, Nico taking in the smell of the sea and body Axe that is Percy Jackson. 

After he left, Nico thought about what Percy meant, and what he had missed when he zoned out. He walked back down the street to the hotel room that he had managed to rent with help, of course, from Jackson. He walked into the dim lit room, laying in the bed and staring up at the ceiling. The window near the bed was open, giving the room a slight chill. Eventually, sleep got the better of him and he drifted off. 

Now, walking back to his apartment the next day, those thoughts of 'what if' returned to his mind. Was it possible that this was more than a friend thing? Do friends even dress this nice to hang out? Was he over-dressed? 

Before he had time to think too hard about it, he was at the door. He knocked softly, and the door swung open immediately, causing Nico to jump. 

Percy smiled widely, a glint in his eye. He wore a blue dress shirt with a black tie and black dress pants. His hair was in a fancy style, curled to the side and sweeping up like a wave. _Classic Jackson._

"Hey! I've been waiting forever, dude." He grinned down at him teasingly. 

Although Nico was trying to stay serious, his emotions betrayed him. He smiled, then quickly forced himself to remain poker-faced as he replied. "Whatever. Where the hell are we going, anyways?" 

"You'll see." He had that mischievous smile that meant either trouble or fun, and with Percy, it probably meant both. 

Percy had started driving a few months before, so they walked down to the, surprisingly, blue Lexus that Percy had spent thousands of dollars on. Nico never figured out how he had gotten enough money for the thing, but whenever he would ask Percy about it, he always received the same response: a smirk followed by, _'Wouldn't you like to know?'_

He jumped into the passenger seat and tapped at his knee nervously. His ADHD always acted up when he got anxious or nervous. The car was cold, and smelled just like Percy. He took in the smell, smiling and feeling comfort rush through his entire body. He had to turn to the window to hide the smile on his face as Percy got into the car. 

"You alright, man?" His voice was soft and soothing, giving him enough courage to get out a sentence. 

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, just got um... Light headed?" He wasn’t technically lying. The aroma of Percy alone was enough to make him feel light headed.

Percy just nodded and started the car, cold air coming out from the vents on either side of him. Percy pulled onto the surprisingly empty looking street. It was Christmas vacation, so he supposed everyone was in their houses or something, drinking hot cocoa and watching movies. Nico was glad to be with Percy. He felt so at ease and happy with him, something he hadn't felt since Bianca had been alive, and certainly something he never thought he'd feel again. 

"How do you feel about Italian food?" Percy asked with a smirk. Percy knew that Nico had an affinity for Italian food. It reminded him vaguely of his mother, but strongly of his sister. 

He smiled slightly and nodded. "It's okay, I guess. Why?" The question was answered for him as the car pulled into the fanciest place Nico had ever seen. 

It looked like an ancient Grecian temple on the outside. Corinthian columns supporting the structure on either side were decorated with vines from top to bottom, which didn't fit the name at all, as it was in Latin. But, it did fit the stereotypical Italian restaurant. The sign above the door read _"La Nostra Casa di Amore",_ which Nico quickly translated to _"Our House of Love"._

He felt himself blush profusely as the car came to a stop. He looked at Percy and blinked as he was met with an absolutely perfect smile. "What... What are we doing here?" 

"I've got a reservation. Come on." Nico looked at Percy as he got out of the car. He pushed his door open and got out, stumbling a bit. He bit his lip in the frustration and embarrassment that overtook him. 

He heard Percy stifle a laugh and Nico blushed harder. "You forget how to walk, Nico?" 

"Shut up." He walked towards the bronze doors, hearing the smacking of footsteps upon the pavement as Percy followed quickly after him, his perfect laugh piercing the silent air.


	2. It Might Be A Date

Percy

Percy's hand were sweaty and clammy as he paced his apartment, anxiety filling him to the brim. He had gotten ready hours ago, awaiting Nico's arrival since then. He clasped and unclasped his hands, pitter pattered his feet, wiped his hair back in place, anything to keep him moving. 

His ADHD kicked in like crazy when he got nervous. And recently, he got nervous whenever he thought of Nico. He kept replaying the words of last night in his head. 

"Nico, I wanna do something special tomorrow, mkay?" He swallowed thickly, scared of the other's answer. Though he was slightly sleep-intoxicated, his mind was still relatively awake; awake enough to be terrified of what he was about to do. 

"Uh, okay. What did you have in mind?" That's what Nico had said. Was that doubt in his voice? Disgust? Did he know?

"I, uh, wanted to take you out to dinner. For helping through the breakup... It's a gift from Aphrodite for helping her with that mirror issue. It's not a date or anything, because, wow, how weird would that be? Ha..." He scratched the back of his head, and realized he was sweating profusely. Good gods, did Nico notice? "Anyways, it's a pretty fancy place, so just wear something fancy, kay?"

Then they hugged and he left. Did Nico think he was weird? He did. I mean, a guy just doesn't ask another guy to dinner without it being a little weird. 

He was brought back to reality by the slight knock at the door. He nearly tripped over the carpet rushing to the door. After introductions, they headed down the stairs. 

Percy felt his entire body jittering as he led Nico to the car. His palms felt sweaty as he drove, his thoughts running through his brain in a frenzy. He knew his feelings for Nico were real. Ever since the previous month, he felt a connection between them that he thought was his imagination. But whenever he and Nico accidentally brushed shoulders or hugged, he felt a longing for more. Something he hadn't felt since Annabeth. 

He really appreciated Nico being there for him. His break-up with Annabeth had shaken him to the core. He couldn't eat or sleep. Everything reminded him of her. But, when he was with Nico, well... He temporarily forgot his pain. 

Sure, there was some inner conflict. He wasn't entirely sure what gender he liked, for one, which was definitely an issue. He couldn't talk to his parents, of course. Too embarrassing. So, he did the thing any other half-blood with a love problem would do. He went to the Aphrodite cabin. 

But he couldn’t just go in there and ask about his sexuality issues. No, he talked to Piper. She knew how to handle stuff, and seemed like the most level-headed, not totally love crazy person to ever be related to the goddess of love herself. Which was definitely a first. 

"Percy, it's not that big of a deal." She said, acting like this was a daily conversation for her. "Attraction is attraction. It doesn't matter what gender they are." 

After talking to Piper, he had a new-found confidence to embrace how he felt about Nico.

And so he prepared for this day for weeks. He even went to Aphrodite herself for help. She made the reservation at the restaurant, then he had lied and told Nico he helped her. He remembered explaining his feelings for Nico to her the previous week. 

"Oh my Gods, that's so cute! Of course I'll help!" She exclaimed. "I did promise to make your love life interesting, didn't I, Perseus?"

And just like that, the restaurant had called the next day to verify his reservation. There were definitely perks to saving all of Olympus.

When Nico had showed up that night at the door, with his black hair slightly over the top of his eyes, full of wonder about the evening, Percy thought he might explode from a feelings overload. 

Now, at the restaurant, Percy pulled the bronze doors open and gestured for Nico to enter. He saw the slight blush grow on the others' cheeks as he walked in. Percy followed behind him, gasping as he saw the interior of the restaurant. 

The walls were painted an olive green, with patterns of white swirls mixed around with just the right amount of elegance. The tables were all rounded, with two or more chairs at each. Waiters ran around with platters, wine glasses, and other dining necessities. The floor was white marble tiles, with a slight tint of blurred gray. He saw his shock reflected on Nico's face, and by the look of the place, Percy was glad Aphrodite had given him two hundred and fifty dollars for the night. 

He walked with Nico to the front desk, which curled in a half circle in the middle of the walkway, a few hundred feet from the door. 

The host greeted them with a smirk, maybe because it was two boys dressed for a date. Or maybe it was because they looked utterly starstruck. "Good evening, boys. Do you have a reservation?" 

Percy nodded and replied quickly. "Jackson." He fixed his tie self-consciously. This guy seemed so snobby, which he expected. 

The host looked down at his book, then looked back up, his face suddenly showing respect. "Right this way." He picked two menus from a stack behind him and walked to his right through the room, all the way to the back. Curtains Percy hadn't noticed before were pulled back and they were led into a small, circular room. 

Nico was silent the whole time, until they came to the room and he let out an almost inaudible gasp. He understood why. The room was dimly lit, with just enough light, thanks to two candles on the table in front of them. The ceiling was high above them, with murals of different random scenes painted on the walls. Champagne was chilling in a small bucket on the right side of the table. Two appetizer plates were on either side in front of two chairs, made of red leather and dark brown wood that curved to accommodate back support. 

"Percy... This looks expensive.... All this just for a friend?" 

"Only the best for my... Friend." He bit his lip after he said the word. Is that all Nico saw him as?

The host seated the two and told them that a waiter would be with them shortly. Percy nodded and watched as Nico picked up the menu and scanned over it, biting his lip every now and then. 

He didn't realize that he was staring until Nico looked up at him and blushed. "Can I help you?"

He blushed even harder as his response flooded out from his lips. "No! Sorry for, uh, staring. I don't know what that was about." 

Nico nodded and put his menu down. Think Percy, think. What can you do to rebuild the moment... 

He picked up the champagne from the bucket and gestured to Nico. "May I?" 

Nico nodded eagerly and picked up his glass, holding it tilted slightly to the side as Percy poured the drink in. Clear-yellowish liquid poured into the glass to about halfway before Percy pulled it back and poured some in his own glass. 

The waiter walked through the curtains a few minutes later, smiling and taking out a small book. "Good evening gentlemen, my name is William and I'll be taking care of you tonight. Can I start you out with anything other than champagne?" His voice had a slight accent to it, Italian, it sounded like. 

Nico shook his head, and Percy nodded. "Could I get a water please?" 

Will nodded and took a pen out. "Can I take your food orders now, or do you need a couple minutes?" 

Nico looked at his 'date'. "Are you ready?" 

He nodded and looked at the waiter. "Could I get a plate of spaghetti, please? With marinara sauce, would be great." 

He wrote something down quickly and turned to Nico. "And for you, sir?" 

"I'll have a plate of risotto and a cannoli, small please." He spoke confidently and strong, a rare thing for the son of Hades. "And some parmigiano-reggiano on the side, as well." He closed his menu and handed it to the waiter as he finished writing down the order. 

"Your food will be out in a bit." He bowed a little and took the other menu before walking away. 

"Look at you, Mr. I Know Everything Italian." Percy smirked as Nico flushed. 

"Well, it's my culture, so." He smiled and then frowned. "Percy... I have to ask you a question..." 

"Anything dude." He replied quickly. The tone in Nico's voice made him nervous, and he was surprised that he even got anything out. 

"Well... Why did you take me out here? Why to this... This fancy restaurant? Why are we dressed so finely, so... So... Date like?" 

Percy face grew hot. Nico was smarter than he looked. He was about to lie, say that it was just to show his appreciation for helping him through his breakup... But it was much more than that. The feeling that Percy had, the warm, fuzzy, happy feeling he got whenever he was around Nico wasn't simple appreciation, or admiration, or even friendly adoration. It was much more. And he knew that from the start. 

"I... Look Nico, the thing is... I think..." He looked down at the table, tracing the elegant red swirls in the tablecloth with his eyes. "I'm so happy when I'm with you. And I know, it's weird to feel that way towards another guy... But I can't help but wonder what if you and I got together. If I could feel that warmth that I do whenever I'm with you without it being weird. What if we started... Dating. So, yeah this is a date." He looked up at Nico again. "Nico Di Angelo, I think I'm in love with you."


	3. It's Definitely A Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the last chapter. This fic is just a short little thing that I wrote to satisfy my Percico needs. If you want more like this in the future, let me know! :)

Nico 

Nico's ears were ringing, his mind a blur. It took him a minute to register the words that just came out from Percy's mouth. He loved him. Percy loved him. It was the best thing he'd heard in his entire life. 

Percy looked at him, a bit worried. "Nico? Did you hear me?" 

He ran his tongue over his lips, wetting them before he spoke. "Yeah." He cleared his throat. "I mean, y-yes I did." 

"And...?" 

"Look Percy..." Gods this was gonna be tough. "I... I do like you. I do. I mean, a lot. I might even love you..." He said, blushing. "But what would the others think? What would they say if we started dating? I mean, you broke up with Annabeth only a few months ago and... I just don't want people thinking bad things when they hear the name Percy Jackson." 

"Let them think what they want! I don't care! I just want to be with you." He smiled and took Nico's hand from across the table, sending warm shocks through his body. 

"Perce... That's really cliché. Hardcore cliché."

"What can I say? I'm a cliché kind of guy." Percy pushed forward, putting one hand on Nico’s cheek and the other behind his head before pulling into a kiss. Nico’s eyes fluttered shut as he kissed back. He took in the moment, the scent of the sea, the soft touch of Percy's lips, the way the his hand caressed his cheek, all of it. 

When Percy pulled away, Nico pushed forward a bit, his lips cold at the sudden absence. When he opened he eyes, he saw Percy staring back at him, smiling as wide as ever. Nico couldn't help but grin for a second before his gaze dropped, along with his smile.

He closed his eyes for a long while, rubbing the crook of his nose. He heard Percy speak from across the table. 

"Nico, is something wrong? Was that too sudden?" 

He pulled his head up, dropping his arms to his sides. "It's not that, it's just... This is all really confusing. The repercussions are unseen, and-" He stopped talking as the waiter returned with plates of food, setting them down in front of each of them respectively. He nodded his thanks quickly before setting his gaze back on Percy. 

"I just... I don't know how us being in a relationship would work. Not knowing scares me..." 

Percy frowned, and thought for a while before responding. "Well then, see this as a test run. This date will decide for you! If you don't have a good time, I won't bring it up again. Sound good?" 

Nico shrugged, then nodded slightly. "Sounds fine." This response brought a smile to Percy's lips.

_______________________________

And so they continued their date.

Percy continued to tell awful jokes the entire time, but Nico laughed at them all. He felt so at peace, sitting here with Percy, that everything else fell away. And by the time they had finished eating, the waiter came by with their check. 

“Excuse my interruption, but we will be closing in five minutes.” Will said as he picked up the plates.

Percy looked confused. “I thought you closed at eleven?”

“It is eleven, sir.” 

Nico’s eyes widened as Percy checked his watch and the waiter left the room. “Well I’ll be damned. It is eleven.”

“Time flies when you’re having fun.” Nico smiled, reaching for the bill.

“Nope!” Percy said, snatching the black book away and sliding several bills into the fold on the side.

“Percy, you really don’t have to-”

“I know I don’t. But I am.” Percy stood up and held his hand out.

Nico hesitated only a second before intertwining their fingers and following Percy out the curtains, through the restaurant, and out through the doors.

“What now?” 

Percy shrugged as they reached the car and looked down at Nico. He stared back, biting his lip nervously and tugging at the end of his shirt.

“You’re shaking.” Nico shivered at the sound of Percy’s voice. It sounded much deeper and smooth than it usually did. 

“Yeah, well, maybe because it’s freaking freezing out here and you haven’t unlocked the car yet.”

Percy only laughed and tapped a button on his keys while maintaining eye contact, a small _beep-beep_ emitting from the car behind them.

But Nico stayed still, staring up into those deep sea green eyes, fixated in their glow. 

“The car’s unlocked.” Percy spoke softly, leaning in closer slowly.

Nico leaned in to meet him. “I know.”

And then their lips met. They kissed slowly at first, barely moving against each other, simply soaking in the moment. But soon, Nico found himself being backed up slowly until his back met the cold metal of the car. Percy followed him, their lips never breaking. Then things began to speed up. 

Until snow fell onto their heads from the roof above them.

They both flinched back, Nico gasping and raising his arms in alarm. Percy simply closed his eyes and smiled, a small laugh forming on his lips. “Care to continue this elsewhere?”

He frowned playfully, but nodded as he shook his sleeves clean of the already melting snow. Then, he ran around the edge of the car to seek comfort from the cold December air.


End file.
